But in projecting the 6-foot-1, 215-pound athlete at linebacker, the Irish coaching staff wanted to see the standout from Pittsburgh actually play the position before extending a scholarship offer.

That meant digging through the video archives at Hampton High School because Paskorz didn't play much defense last fall after sustaining ligament damage to his ankle during a pre-season scrimmage.

Paskorz still rushed for nearly 1,300 yards and 14 touchdowns on that bad ankle, but he didn't flash the two-way ability of his sophomore year that made him one of the top prospects in Western Pennsylvania. After watching a sophomore Paskorz play outside linebacker on tape, Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis made an offer on May 24. Paskorz accepted on the spot to become the sixth verbal commitment in Notre Dame's class.